I expected a large portion of the screen time to be in set up (getting to the point of being stuck) and a significant amount of scenes of what was happening in the real world when they finally learned he was missing. Nope.
The Social Network is filled with several characters, based on real people, who have some fairly strong intentions. The dialog is sharp, fast-paced, and witty. A lot like The West Wing. The opening scene where Zuckerberg's girlfriend dumps him is a cutting verbal melee of sarcastic jabs and assaults.